120万一针癌细胞清零？癌症患者的“救命稻草”为何遥不可及？

Core Insights - CAR-T therapy has emerged as a promising treatment for certain types of cancers, particularly blood cancers, showing significant efficacy in patient outcomes [1][2][3] - The high cost of CAR-T therapy, typically ranging from 1 million to 1.3 million RMB, poses a significant barrier for many patients, as it is not covered by insurance [2][10] - There are ongoing discussions and research aimed at making CAR-T therapy more accessible through cost reduction and expanding its applications beyond blood cancers [12][14][15] Group 1: CAR-T Therapy Overview - CAR-T therapy is an advanced immunotherapy that enhances the patient's own T cells to target and eliminate cancer cells, demonstrating remarkable success in treating blood cancers [1][4][8] - Currently, there are six CAR-T products available in China, primarily for leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma, with some achieving over 50% ten-year survival rates [2] Group 2: Economic Barriers - The cost of CAR-T therapy is a major concern, with prices in China around 1.29 million RMB per patient, making it unaffordable for many [10][12] - Patients often resort to "compassionate CAR-T" treatments, which are experimental and funded by research institutions, but access is limited due to strict eligibility criteria [10][11] Group 3: Research and Development Challenges - The high cost of CAR-T therapy is attributed to the complex manufacturing process, reliance on imported materials, and the small patient population, which makes cost distribution challenging [11][12] - Experts suggest that developing universal CAR-T products could significantly reduce costs and improve accessibility, but this requires overcoming immune rejection issues [14][15] Group 4: Future Directions - Expanding the indications for CAR-T therapy to include solid tumors and other diseases could increase its patient base and help lower costs through economies of scale [15] - The introduction of a dual-directory system for insurance coverage may provide more options for patients while supporting pharmaceutical innovation [13][14]